Osceola Ditch - Montane (Stop 4)

Osceola Ditch Trailhead sign

NPS/ B. Mills

Quick Facts

Amenities

3 listed

Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Trailhead

A pull-off on the side of the scenic drive offers access to the Osceola Ditch trail , a relatively flat 9.2-mile round trip trail that leads to the Strawberry Creek area of the park. For a shorter hike, consider taking the trail roughly one mile in to Mill Creek and then return. When a remnant population of native Bonneville Cutthroat Trout was found in Mill Creek, the stream became a catalyst for reintroducing the parks only native trout to other streams of the snake range.

Gold was discovered 3 miles west of Great Basin National Park in 1877. Water is a critical element in gold mining, and in 1889 construction began on a ditch to bring water from Lehman Creek on the east side of the Snake Range to the gold mines on the west. Limited gold returns, hampered by a water flume that did not deliver enough water, led gold mining to largely stop in 1905. Remnants of the original flume can be found along the trail, with century old pieces of wood baking in the sun.  

Now that you’re above 8,000 feet, the montane life zone surrounds you. This stop also shows that general life zones are not perfectly delineated and can blend in their transitions. The area surrounding the road is studded with piñon and juniper trees, along with some larger coniferous species, such as white fir, ponderosa pine, and douglas fir. Listen for melodic Cassin’s finches and the repetitive red-breasted nuthatch. 

Enjoy the crisper air as you rise in elevation and keep an eye out as the Montane zone becomes more evident, soaking in the magnificent views of the Snake Valley.